It’s no secret that leaders need to influence their teams. Even if a leader isn’t good at that skill, it often feels more comfortable because the power dynamic is in their favour. It’s when that dynamic shifts – when a leader needs to influence up – that the stakes raise and their skills are truly tested.

In this episode we discuss what gets in the way of developing this skill, how to think about influence, and what you can do to get better at influencing up.

Tune in for the full conversation or enjoy the moments below:

1:54 – Why influencing up can be uncomfortable

4:18 – Why we aren’t taught this

5:21 – How this skill is the biggest differentiator, and why we get frustrated

7:34 – What influencing up tells you about your influence overall

9:58 – A good place to test this skill

12:10 – The key ways to think about influencing up

16:24 – How to get better at this skill

20:13 – The roadblocks that come with improving

23:01 – What to do when you don’t know what motivates someone

25:32 – The 2 sets of biases in these conversations

26:54 – Influence comes with time – don’t propose on the first date

29:41 – What to do when you’re influencing a stranger

34:40 – The main thing that stops us from influencing up well